PROMOTION
Winter is coming, and as temperatures plummet your energy usage is more likely to be going in the opposite direction – but that doesn’t mean you have to spend the next few months fretting about your bills. Let’s identify some of the ways in which you can cut down your energy bills not just in winter, but all year round.
Kitchen
Next time you boil the kettle, make sure you only boil as much water as you need to. Filling and boiling a full load every time is costing you extra money, as is any build-up of limescale on the inside of the kettle. Try to descale it on a regular basis, or else you’ll end up using more energy to boil the same amount of water. As an added bonus you can spend the money you’ve saved here on a special energy-efficient kettle!
Another easy way to cut down on your energy bills here is to make sure you only fully load the washing machine, rather than doing half or even quarter-full washes. The higher the temperature of the wash the more energy you’ll be using, so try to wash clothes at a maximum of 30ºC, only increasing the temperature for heavily stained clothes. Doing this will save you around £9 a year, which may not seem like much on its own, but it’s all about the cumulative effect of these little savings.
Lastly, there are plenty of savings to be had by using your fridge and freezer more efficiently. Did you know, for instance, that your fridge has to expend more energy to cool hot food that is placed in there? By letting it cool down on the side beforehand you can save yourself even more money.
Bathroom & Lounge
According to the Energy Saving Trust, if everyone in a family of four replaced one bath a week with a five-minute shower, they would save up to £20 a year. And after you’ve stepped out of the shower, you can ensure you don’t waste up to six litres of water a minute by not leaving the tap running whilst brushing your teeth, shaving or washing your face. For another £10 yearly saving, all you have to do is cut a minute off your time in the shower. These small savings are really starting to add up, right?
The amount of electrical items that eat up energy whilst left on standby might surprise you. It’s worth checking all of the plug sockets around your house and getting into the habit of switching things off at the mains, rather than just putting them on standby. And whilst your kitchen and bathroom appliances are often left on standby, the worst offenders are likely to be found in your lounge or bedroom. TVs are probably the best-known energy-drainers in this area, but games consoles use just as much energy in idle mode as they do when you’re using them, whilst leaving your mobile phone on charge overnight is also a big no-no in the world of energy saving.
By simply changing a few of your daily habits you can make a series of small energy savings that really add up to big long-term savings. Good luck!